93 White Commercial Farmers Compensated So Far: Ncube

The Zimbabwean government has to date paid US$64,4 million to 93 white former commercial farmers as compensation for improvements made on reallocated farms, Finance, and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has revealed.

Presenting the Ministerial statement on the state of economy last night, Minister Ncube said Government was committed to finalising compensation for all farmers who were affected by the land reform programme. Said Ncube:

“As outlined in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme. Government is committed to finalising compensation for all former farmers affected by the land reform programme.

“Government is also engaging development partners and other bilateral countries with the view to mobilising the requisite resources.

“Since 2009 to date, US$64,4 million was paid to 93 former commercial farmers as compensation for immovable improvements.

“In 2018 alone, US$12 million was paid to 29 farmers. In the 2019 National Budget we set aside US$53 million for the same purpose,” he said.

Minister Ncube said the process of compensation involved the evaluation of assets to ascertain the extent of Government’s obligation to former commercial farmers owing to the magnitude of resources required.

-Herald